Contents

History

Galactus is the sole survivor of the universe that existed prior to the current universe. Originally Galactus was a humanoid named Galan, who was born on the planet Taa, a paradise-like world whose civilization is said to have been the most advanced of any of the known universe of that time.[6]

However, this universe was in its final stages of collapse. Originally, like all universes in the Multiverse, this universe had been a "Cosmic Egg"; a primal sphere of disorganized, dense, compact primordial matter. The sphere underwent a "Big Bang," an explosion that hurled the matter outwards, where much of it eventually condensed into stars and planets. This universe expanded in size for billions of years, and then contracted, undergoing a "crunch" over the following billions of years. All of the matter of that universe was plunging towards a central point, where it was collapsing into a new "Cosmic Egg."

Taa's civilization was one of the last still in existence. Lethal radiation caused by the "Big Crunch" this universe was experiencing was wiping out all life across the universe. Galan, a space explorer, was dispatched to travel through the cosmos to find a means of saving Taa, but he found none. The radiation eventually killed off all but a tiny fraction of the population of Taa. Knowing their deaths were inevitable, Galan proposed to the remaining survivors that they die gloriously by piloting one of their starships directly into the heart of the "Cosmic Egg." As the starship containing Galan and his fellow survivors approached the focal point of the Big Crunch, the heat and radiation killed all the passengers except Galan, who strangely found himself filled with new energy.[6]

Galactus

Rebirth as Galactus

At the moment Galan's universe met its end, the Phoenix Force amassed the positive emotions of all living beings in the cosmos to preserve them from eternal damnation, enabling the Sentience of the Universe — the previous universe's equivalent to Eternity — to meet with Galan.

Within the "Cosmic Egg" the Sentience of the Universe revealed itself to Galan and informed him that though they both would die in the final moments of the universe, they would both survive through a joint heir born into the next universe. The Sentience of the Universe let the mortal Galan gestate within it, and thus Galactus, the devourer of worlds, was conceived.[7]

Eventually the "Cosmic Egg" underwent another "Big Bang," thus creating the current universe. Eternity and Death, the ethereal embodiments of the new universe, were created in this "Big Bang," and the newborn Galactus was simultaneously hurled outward in his recreated starship.

The nascent Galactus drifted in his starship for eons as life began to come into existence in the universe, including the races that would give rise to the Elders of the Universe. Eventually the nascent Galactus's starship was sighted by Ecce of the Watchers, an ancient species who possess vast psionic and energy manipulation powers who had undertaken to observe the events of the universe. Ecce drew the starship down to his planet to study it. There he learned that the being within it had power beyond comprehension and would eventually be forced to consume entire worlds to satiate his hunger for life-sustaining energy.

Realizing the danger the nascent Galactus posed to the cosmos, this Watcher considered destroying the entity; who was still vulnerable due to his metamorphic state; but instead decided to abide by the Watchers' oath of non-interference, and let the nascent Galactus depart in his starship. Although over time the Watcher race has come to understand that Galactus is an intrinsic and necessary component to the natural order of the cosmos, Ecce has expressed guilt over his decision those billions of years ago and feels partially responsible for the destruction Galactus has caused since.[6]

The nascent Galactus employed his vastly limitless strength and power and created a suit of armor to help him regulate his raging internal energies. He then transformed the starship of Galan into a kind of incubation chamber, where Galactus spent thousands upon thousands of years evolving into his current form.[6] Finally, the incubation ship drifted into orbit around the inhabited planet Archeopia. The Archeopians themselves did not disturb the strange ship, but years later a marauding space fleet, nearing Archeopia and thinking Galactus's ship to be a weapon, attacked it.

Galactus, with his metamorphosis complete, emerged and with a gesture destroyed the invading fleet. Galactus, realizing his uncontrollable hunger for energy, turned his attention upon the energy-rich Archeopia below. Galactus immediately consumed the life energies of the Archeopia, only a small fleet of Archeopian ships managed to escape the planet in time. (The Archeopian race would later be fully exterminated by the living planet Ego).

Taa II

Over the following millennia Galactus constructed for himself an immense home, the world-ship he calls Taa II, which engulfs the Archeopian solar system as a tribute to both his home world and to Archeopia, the first planet he ever consumed. For several billion years Galactus consumed only planets uninhabited by sentient lifeforms, Archeopia being the only exception, and centuries passed between his "feedings".

However, as ages passed, the intervals between feedings decreased considerably in length, and Galactus found himself needing to consume worlds inhabited by sentient races if he could find no other worlds possessing the energy he needs in time to sustain himself. Galactus has succeeded in suppressing his sympathy for intelligent beings who are similar in nature to the entity from which he was birthed, and, realizing himself to be a higher kind of being than they are due to his intrinsic role in the natural order, is willing to destroy their lives to continue his own. Moreover, he is aware that he is meant to one day give back to the universe infinitely more than he has ever taken from it.

At one point Galactus threatened to destroy the planet Zenn-La, home of a civilized, humanoid race. One of that world's inhabitants, Norrin Radd, persuaded Galactus to spare the planet by volunteering to become his "herald" and search out uninhabited worlds for him to consume. Galactus agreed, and transformed Norrin Radd into the Silver Surfer.

Silver Surfer

Eventually, however, Galactus grew determined to consume the energy-rich planet Earth.[8] The Surfer rebelled as a result[9], and Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four thwarted Galactus by threatening to use an alien device called the Ultimate Nullifier on him, a weapon that could lay waste to the universe and kill even Galactus. Galactus was forced to vow to spare Earth in exchange for the Nullifier's return, and he punished the Surfer for his betrayal by erecting an undetectable energy barrier that prevented the Surfer from leaving Earth.[10]

When he discovered the existence of Counter-Earth, he became determined to consume it instead of Earth. He and his herald at the time, the Destroyer, were opposed by the Fantastic Four once again who had been called for help by the High Evolutionary.[11] Galactus then consumed the Poppupians' home world instead and was nearly destroyed in the process.[12]

Eventually freeing himself from his pledge to Richards by defeating the immensely powerful Sphinx (who was further empowered by the secrets of the universe downloaded from the Living Computer of Xandar),[13] Galactus returned several times to Earth to consume it, but was always narrowly thwarted. Meanwhile, he consumed numerous inhabited worlds throughout the known universe to sate his hunger, and was feared as a menace to all known star faring races. Galactus also took on a succession of new heralds.

During his last attempt to devour Earth, Galactus had gone so long without "feeding" that his energies were the lowest they had ever been and he was near death; thus a large number of Earth's superhuman defenders actually succeeded in defeating him in battle. Galactus lay dying, succumbing to his own hunger, but Reed Richards saved his life with the help of Thor's mystic hammer Mjolnir. The grateful Galactus pledged his friendship to Richards and sincerely gave his word never to attack Earth again. Galactus has steadfastly abided by this oath ever since. During this visit to Earth Galactus recruited his latest herald, Nova.[14]

Galactus continued to prey upon other worlds, and destroyed the Skrull throneworld, thereby plunging the Skrull Empire into chaos.[15] There is an account of a far distant alternate future, in which man no longer exists on Earth, and Galactus, therefore no longer feeling bound by his oath, consumes it at last.

For saving the life of Galactus, Reed Richards was placed on trial by survivors of Galactus' attacks. Galactus appeared for Richard's defense and Eternity manifested confirming to all present the importance and necessity of Galactus in the universe.[3]

At some point afterward, Galactus was targeted by the alien organization called the Elders of the Universe, who believed his death would trigger a new Big Bang and recreate reality. In this new reality, the Elders believed they would become a race a Galacti, each with infinite cosmic power with which to endlessly pursue their special interests. His former herald, Silver Surfer, the Fantastic Four, Franklin Richards, and his herald Nova managed to upset the Elders' plans.[16]

Eternity appeared to Galactus informing him of his hidden role in his battle with the Elders and revealing Galactus' role as the third force of the universe. One of Galactus' roles as an alien force is to help balance life and death as represented by Eternity and Death.[17] Galactus later ran afoul of the In-Betweener, the third force of a universe ruled by Master Order and Lord Chaos who was confirmed to be Galactus' own opposite from another universe. Whereas Galactus is absent of dualities the In-betweener is the crossroads of all dualities.[18]

When Nova finally rebelled as his herald, Galactus created another in the alien Morg, who ultimately murdered Nova on his own volition. Morg in turn was defeated by the collection of his former heralds. Galactus accepted Firelord and Air-Walker as returning heralds after the battle with Morg, but secretly preserved Morg's body to restore him slowly over time.[19]

At one point, Galactus was apparently erased from existence by the Ultimate Nullifier.[20] Reed Richards determined he was still alive, however, and neutralized his own alternate grandson Hyperstorm by connecting the two, leaving Galactus to feed indefinitely off of Hyperstorm's fundamental power.[21]

More recently, Galactus' appetite became such that he would only devour the life forces of sentient beings and leave the planets on which they lived intact. He began to consume more and more frequently, because, unlike the life essences of the planets he normally feeds on, the life forces of mortal beings offer him no sustenance; thus his addiction left him perpetually starving, weakened and demented. He created a new herald, Red Shift, to help him succeed in devouring all of the sentient life forces he came upon. He approached Earth once more, and had to be driven off by a large contingent of Earth's superheroes, and Red Shift was defeated by the Silver Surfer. Finally, the Silver Surfer agreed once more to become Galactus' herald and to search for planets with sentient life to consume.

Almost immediately, the Silver Surfer led Galactus to the home world of the Shi'ar Empire, perhaps the most technologically advanced in the known universe, in hopes they would have the forces to repulse the weakened planet devourer. The Shi'ar quickly joined with other races and several of Earth's superheroes to battle Galactus. During the conflict, the Silver Surfer managed to turn Galactus' own energy-siphoning machines on Galactus himself, fatally weakening him. Galactus died, warning that the madness which had consumed him was a precursor to another greater horror.

As he passed away, Galactus was converted to energy by his own planet-destroying machines, revealing his true form, that of a sentient star. As Reed Richards noted, his energy would radiate forever outward, so he could never again reform.[22]

Galactus' "death" allowed the being known as Abraxas, the metaphysical embodiment of destruction and the antithesis of Eternity, to emerge from his imprisonment. He soon began to cut a swath of terror through various alternate realities, including the murder of parallel versions of Galactus. He used the decapitated head of one alternate reality Galactus to target and home in on the prime reality Earth and to plant a mole in his version of the Herald known as Nova. On Earth, Abraxas attacked Uatu the Watcher, left him comatose, and stole half of his signature medallion. Abraxas taunted the Fantastic Four with the inevitability of his coming, enticing the team to search for the Ultimate Nullifer, the clues to the location of which were scattered among alternate realities.

Ultimately, the Four found the Nullifier when Abraxas suddenly appeared and stole it from them. Abraxas called forth an army of Novas to attack Earth, and the Fantastic Four held no hope of defeating him. Instead, Franklin Richards, the son of the Four members Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, combined his Celestial-level cosmic powers with those of his sister Valeria and returned Galactus to his natural state and thus restored balance to Eternity, at the cost of (presumably) forever burning out his powers. Galactus easily wrenched the Nullifier from Abraxas, but, due to interference from the army of Novas, the Nullifier fell to Reed Richards, who used the weapon to destroy the multiverse. The result served to re-create the multiverse in which Abraxas had never escaped, and since all that was had ended, all that is was realigned, it allowed Mister Fantastic to survive along with all those who died in Abraxas' reign of terror.[23]

Annihilation

During Annihilus' ambition of "conquering" the universe, Galactus was vengefully attacked by the freed surviving Proemial Gods, "Tenebrous, of The Darkness Between" and "Aegis, Lady of All Sorrows", leaving him badly weakened and was, along with the Silver Surfer, captured by Thanos, who was responsible for bargaining the gods into fighting the World Devourer. Galactus and the Surfer were brought to Annihilus and were experimented upon as weapons in Annihilus' war. Galactus was used as a sort of cosmic weapon, capable of destroying whole planets, and his and the Surfer's cosmic power were fueled as potential weapons for the Annihilation Wave.

Eventually Annihilus' overall plan was to use Galactus as a 'bomb' capable of destroying every life-form in the universe and thus fulfilling his desire of being the only being in the known universe. However, Annihilus' plan was foiled by the efforts of Moondragon, Drax and the Silver Surfer as they successfully freed Galactus. After teleporting Moondragon and Drax to safety and in his rage, Galactus proceeds to unleash a massive, omnidirectional blast that later becomes known as the "Galactus event." Silver Surfer is sent ahead of the blast by Galactus to herald the imminent destruction, as the unleashed "Galactus obliteration perimeter" wipes out the majority of the Annihilation Wave, more than three star systems and even vaporizes a Watcher. Galactus' action ultimately stopped the war and forced the remaining warring parties to form a truce.

Post-Annihilation

Following the end of the Annihilation war, Galactus became hungrier than before and requested his Heralds to find planetary substance for his hunger. It is revealed that at some point in the early years of the creation of the universe that Galactus became involved in a civil war between the Proemial Gods. He slayed Diableri the leader of the opposing faction of gods who attempted to gain total control of the universe, and imprisons the remaining surviving gods in the Kyln. Angered and concerned about the freed Proemial Gods, Aegis and Tenebrous, Galactus ordered the Silver Surfer to find and defeat the gods once and for all.

After the Surfer kills the gods by luring them into the Crunch, the all-destroying border of the universe, Galactus saved a heavily beaten and exhausted Surfer in which both of them honor their gratitude to each other, and the Surfer once again became a Herald to Galactus. The Surfer led Galactus to the planet Sakaar where he destroyed the planet after easily defeating both Skaar and the Surfer who was being controlled by Skaar. He became addicted to the Old Power after devouring the planet and set out to find all the planets that possess the Old Power within them.

Nu World

Galactus discovered Nu World and its power source. He went to Earth and took Reed Richards to Nu world to fix their power source but in the end Galactus chose to destroy the world rather then eat it for daring to use him as a power source.

Attack on Asgard

Galactus was in search for “Galactus Seed”, a cosmic heart that will give birth to the next universe to come. Created by Eternity before the recording of time and discovered by Bor First King of the Asgardians. The seed birthing the World Tree over which the nine realms hang. Surfer arrived on behalf of Galactus for the seed, as quoted by the Silver Surfer, the seed may be able to satisfy Galactus and stop his hunger. Odin refused to hand the seed over to Galactus, believing that Galactus was in search for godhood and wants to live forever. This made Galactus attack Asgard in search for the seed. Galactus was not able to get the seed as Odin was in his way stopping him from getting it.

Galactus and Odin fought by using their telekinetic and telepathic powers because if they had fought physically the power they both possessed would have been able to destroy the Universe. Odin was able to render Galactus unconscious by head-butting him before falling into the Odinsleep. After regaining consciousness Galactus proceeded to attack Asgard in search for the seed despite the fact the Silver Surfer was trying to stop Galactus from proceeding as it declared war on Asgard and Surfer telling him that "They are Gods. They are power and fury and an act of war against a race of Gods is beyond even you..." nonetheless, Galactus proceeded until Odin summoned The Destroyer, which was powered by the seed's energy, and at the same time Loki successfully hid the seed, when Surfer detected the seed was gone he informed Galactus. Knowing that his main objective was not under Asgardian possession any more, Galactus retreated, thus canceling the invasion, and later learned that the seed was lost somewhere within Odin's World Tree, and that searching for it would be like searching for a needle in a pile of space-time.

After the event Surfer proposes a truce between Galactus and Asgardians, one of the conditions is if the Surfer senses the seed disturbed then the war between Galactus and Asgardians continues anew. Needing to stay on Earth to observe the Asgardians and ensure they never retrieved the Seed, the Surfer approached a preacher in Broxton, Oklahoma, Mike, about taking up his role as Herald, having observed Mike's courage in standing up to Galactus for the good of his people. Mike reluctantly accepted the task, becoming Praeter, the latest Herald of Galactus.

The Future Foundation

Galactus vowed to Reed Richards that he would protect the Earth until the Galactus Seed could be retrieved from Yggdrasill. He gave Richards the means to summon him in the near future, when he foresaw Earth in peril.[24] Galactus and the adult Franklin Richards from the future stood toe-to-toe against the Mad Celestials. After they were defeated, Galactus and Franklin bonded over the fact that Galan would no longer face the end of the universe alone -- Mister Franklin would survive to the end and witness it with him.[25]

Gah Lak Tus merges with Galactus

Clash with the Ultimate Universe

Months after his return, Ultron launched a massive attack on Earth, annihilating humankind and conquering the planet. Wolverine was one of the remaining survivors, and used Doctor Doom's Time Machine to travel back in time numerous times until he could prevent Ultron's rise of power and thus the annihilation of humankind, and the evil A.I. was destroyed once and for all, at the cost of the space-time continuum being broken, causing a "multiversal chaos", where numerous beings from other realities were transported to other universes through the tears of reality. Galactus was one of the beings dragged to another universe, in this case Earth-1610.[26]

Galactus' arrival to this Earth happened just in the moment and location in which his counterpart, the entity Gah Lak Tus found itself in the middle of the Chitauri-Kree War. Galactus was approached by Gah Lak Tus, who unexpectedly took the action of merging with its counterpart, creating an even more powerful Galactus with need to feed, who sent part of Gah Lak Tus as his new herald to seek and consume.[27]

When Galactus attacked Hala, the Kree capital, the planet was defended by that world's Silver Surfer, Nova and Captain Mahr Vehl.[28] During the battle, Mahr Vehl died of the injuries caused by the Gah Lak Tus swarm. Nova wore Mahr Vehl's armor and became Captain Marvel, using his newly vast power, and a weapon on Mahr Vehl's armor designed to kill Gah Lak Tus to unleash a powerful attack on Galactus. Thought dead by the heroes, Galactus was only heavily weakened by the attack, and started heading Earth looking to consume its power.[29]

On his way, he was met by Vision as she attempted to return Galactus to his own universe. She failed in doing so and was destroyed.[30] Upon arrival to Earth, Galactus immediately began his path of destruction and preparations to consume the planet. The Ultimates arrived to stop Galactus, but even their most devastating attacks proved to be only a nuisance to the world devourer.[31]

Galactus was ultimately defeated when the Elemental Converter was destroyed by a giant Kitty Pryde, and Thor pushed the cosmic entity through a portal created by Reed Richards, into the N-Zone, with the intention that, since this incarnation of the zone is completely lifeless, Galactus should starve to death.[32]

Return from the N-Zone

Following an incident where the EternalIkaris was brainwashed by the Kree using a device called the Gods' Whisperer, he swore vengeance on his would-be captors. With help from Aarkus, Ikaris and his fellow Eternals found the comatose Galactus floating in the N-Zone and brought him back to Earth-616. They then stated that they planned to use the Gods' Whisperer to unleash him upon the Kree when he awakens.[33]

Time Runs Out

Among other solutions, the Illuminati went to Galactus to arrange a meeting with the Celestials in order to stop the Incursions. However, before they could fully assure them their help, they mysteriously vanished.[34]

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Galactus possesses the immeasurable Cosmic Power and is one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe, having near-limitless godlike powers.[4] He was once referred to as "the most awesome living entity in the cosmos."[35]Thanos with the Infinity Gauntlet ranked him around the same level of power as Odin, Zeus, the Celestials, and the Stranger, but well below Master Order, Lord Chaos, Mistress Love, and Sire Hate, who in turn are well below Eternity and Infinity, who are well below the Living Tribunal.[36] As such, Galactus is able to employ the cosmic energy within him to produce virtually any effect he desires. After devouring four planets, Galactus has been shown capable of fighting four Mad Celestials, and destroying one of them, although when they fused together into a powerful Voltron Celestial he was defeated.[37]

However, although his power is great, it is dependent on the amount of energy he has absorbed from planets. If he does not feed regularly, then it will run out, and he will weaken and starve to death.[38]

A few of the abilities he displayed are:

Immortality: Galactus is said to be the oldest living entity; therefore people consider him as an ageless being.

God-level Strength: Galactus has demonstrated the potential for a solar scale of super strength.[39]

God-level Stamina: Galactus can partake in physical strenuous action, like battles, for an undefined period of time, but absorbing the energy of a planet will only sustain him for a month, and using it will cause the time-span to lower dramatically, so he normally cannot fight for too long.

God-level Speed: Despite his size, Galactus can fly at speeds that greatly surpass the speed of light.

Invulnerability: Galactus is immune to all diseases, ailments, and toxins. In addition, he is enormously resistant to damage, but was almost killed by a planetary impact, despite being nourished at the time.[40] He emerged intact from a massive strike from Nega-Bombs.[2] He has also stated that, much like Aegis and Tenebrous, he could not survive the forces of the Crunch.[41] After Odin headbutted him from the outer atmosphere all the way to the planet Earth, he very swiftly recovered.[42]

Energy Discharges: After absorbing the energy from several planets, Galactus proved capable of destroying at least three solar systems.[43] It has been speculated that Galactus might be able to destroy entire galaxies.[44]

Energy Absorption: Arguably his most viable power, as his survival depends on absorbing the Life Force from planets or stars. During his fight with Mephisto, he showed that he is even capable of absorbing an entire domain. During his attack on the Ultimate Universe he also absorbed Vision's Dark Matter-attacks.

Levitation: Galactus can traverse or glide through the air using sheer willpower.

Size-Alteration: Galactus's base height and weight will diminish when he is greatly in need of life-giving energy. Galactus has the ability to increase his size and mass at will, the extent of which is unknown. He once grew to a stature so great that he could wrestle with the Wraithworld sun.[39]

Adapted Appearance: Although Galactus is usually represented in humanoid form, each sentient being perceives him having a form resembling their own. Hence, humans see Galactus as an enormous armor-clad humanoid, while an amoeba-like species, for example, would perceive Galactus in an enormous amoeba-like form. Although as Galan, Galactus was indeed a humanoid, his true current form is unknown.

Molecular Restructuring: Galactus can manipulate, reshape and rearrange the molecular complexions of any organism, allowing him to rebuild or redesign things internally.[45]

Matter Transmutation: Being a cosmic being, Galactus can control matter in any object which allows him to turn something tangible like lead, into something intangible like water.[46][47]

Teleportation: Galactus can make himself, other people, and objects appear anywhere in the entire universe that he wishes with a mere thought.[15][48] He has even teleported the planet Galador from one galaxy to another.[39]

Soul Control & Manipulation: Galactus can control and manipulate the souls and spirits of living beings at will.[52] He uses this power to alter the memories and emotions of others.

Recreation: Being a cosmic being, Galactus was able to recreate the entire planet Zen-La, including population, etc. in every detail.[52]

Power/Ability Bestowal: Galactus' heralds, whom he has endowed with a minuscule fraction of his cosmic power, are able to manipulate matter and energy in ways that are far beyond human comprehension.

Vitakinesis: Galactus is able to heal himself and others from physical wounds although this may simply be molecular reconstruction.

Fear Rays: After being merged with Gah Lak Tus, Galactus can generate "fear rays" from space on psychic frequencies, rendering a targeted population permanently insane within hours. Gah Lak Tus' modules can release flesh-eating viruses capable of devouring organic life on a planetary scale within hours; the modules can also penetrate a planet’s core and tap its thermal power, transferring it to Gah Lak Tus' main body.

Abilities

Galactus, as the oldest known living entity in the universe, possesses one of the universe's absolutely most advanced minds. Reed Richards has admitted an inability to fully comprehend even the most rudimentary devices found within Galactus' Worldship Taa II. The Worldship itself is a solar system-sized construct that is said to surpass any natural world in beauty and splendor and yet within it's computers is contained knowledge so unfathomable and far reaching it can grant awesome power to those who come into contact with it (see Korvac).

Strength level

When sated, Galactus has demonstrated a solar scale of super-strength.[39]

Weaknesses

Cosmic Hunger: Galactus requires unknown energies obtainable only from a certain type of planets in order to sustain his life. The suitable type of planet need not to be one where life is present, but it must have the potential to support life. When recently sated Galactus is incredibly powerful; however, the longer he goes without feeding the more his strength, power, and cosmic awareness wane. Indeed, over one month after consuming a suitable planet his power will have already been reduced exponentially, although in such a hungered state his powers are still far beyond mortal comprehension. In recent times Galactus has been known to go without feeding for numerous months at a time bringing him to the brink of death and reducing his power to such a degree that superhuman teams such as the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four etc. can defeat him.[38] When he first emerged from his cocoon, Galactus could go without feeding for over century before his hunger weakened him to a significant degree. Why the intervals between his feedings has decreased over the millennia is unknown.

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Galactus often employs his Elemental Converter when devouring planets to help him in the conversion of matter into energy. Although he does not require this device to devour planets and will forego its use in certain scenarios, it makes the conversion of energies more efficient. Galactus also wears a full-body suit of armor constructed from an unknown material of his own design that helps him to regulate and control his personal energy. If he were to remove the armor for an extended period, his vast cosmic energies could run rampant and potentially give him the appearance of a star.

Transportation

Although Galactus is capable of space travel via his own power, he disdains the needless expenditure of power and prefers to travel in starships of his own design. Though Galactus has many different starships in his personal fleet his preferred long range vessel is his sphere-shaped starship (over a mile in diameter) which is capable of trans-light speeds and inter-dimensional travel. Galactus has even on rare occasions been shown to travel in his solar system-sized Worldship, Taa II.

Weapons

Galactus often employs a robot called the Punisher—which possesses vast superhuman strength, speed, and durability—to battle adversaries whose power levels do not warrant his direct attention. Galactus also keeps in his possession a weapon called the Ultimate Nullifier. This weapon has the ability to destroy any target the wielder can mentally envision. In the hands of Galactus, due to his cosmic awareness, the Ultimate Nullifier is capable of destroying entire universes and even entire timelines from beginning to end. It was revealed in the Abraxas story arc that the Ultimate Nullifier may be an aspect of Galactus himself.

Trivia

The storyline contained in Fantastic Four #48-
#50, otherwise known to fans as "the Galactus Trilogy", is considered by many to be one of Marvel's very best stories from the Silver Age of Comics.

Galactus does not have a 'true form' because he is "no longer a being in the absolute, physical sense," "each mind that views him struggles as best as it can to perceive that unknowable force as an image it can comprehend" (according to Galacta, she and her father seem to wear purple because "that's merely what your crude little cortexes perceive," due to "the colour's royalty symbolism" from "ancient mythopoetic cultural sludge encrusting your merely mortal minds"). This is the same "neurocensoring FX" that causes the mortal brain to see "Kirby crackles" ("odd black circles in/around [it] ... artifacts from your mortal brain's inability to directly perceive Power Cosmic reality distortion).[citation needed]

Not all Galacti share Earth-616's physical and metaphysical characteristics:

Galactus of the Mangaverse (Earth-2301) was a vast eye-like parasite that literally fed on planets through enormous city-sized tendrils. Where its tendrils touched the surface of a world, "spores" would be thrown off, and these spores took the form of monsters such as Fin Fang Foom. The Mangaverse equivalents of the Inhumans lived on Galactus' surface, as did a race of Lava Men and a Skrull enclave led by a Super Skrull. As Earth's heroes fought the spores, Galactus was finally drained of life by that reality's incarnation of Captain Marvel.

An entity named Gah Lak Tus threatened the Ultimate Universe. It seeded planets with energy siphons that bore a visual resemblance to the helmet of the Marvel Universe Galactus.